Hello, My name is Alyssa Busscher. This is my fourth year teaching at FES and my third year teaching Kindergarten. Teaching is my passion and I have known that since the third grade. I attended Central Michigan University and received my Bachelor's of Science in Education in May of 2012. I am certified to teach K-8 with a major in Child Development and minors in both Mathematics and Language Arts. One of my favorite quotes is this, “Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another.” ~Marva Collins. I strive to live by this quote. My goal as a teacher is to encourage children to learn from their mistakes and build on their strengths, so they can become confident in their abilities and reach their full potential.
I LOVE having each of your students in my classroom. Their smiles just melt my heart. We are already having such a wonderful year that I cannot wait to see what else this year has in store for us.
I have attached both my degree and my teaching certificate below. If you would like to read on further, I have attached my beliefs about education.
~My Pedagogic Creed~
This section is dedicated to my Pedagogic Creed. It is my own personal philosophy of education. The creed is based off of "John Dewey's Pedagogic Creed" and is split into five sections. They include what education is, what the school is, the subject matter of education, the nature of method and the school and social progress.
What Education Is:
I believe education is LIFE-LONG. It is a process that involves interaction and experience. An individual is constantly learning and building off of past experiences and connecting them with new ones. The knowledge that one has from the past, increases as they are presented with new knowledge.
I believe education is based on the individual’s own social terms. Individuals learn only if they want to learn. They learn in their fields of interests. If they are forced to learn something that they do not want to learn, then they will shut down.
I believe the individual motivates themselves and uses the skills they have to further their education. Only the individual can push themselves to do better. They are the ones that know themselves best. They know their strengths and weaknesses and how to apply them in their learning.
I believe in order to provide the best education we must first know the individual’s prior knowledge. We must understand each skill before fully moving on to the next objective. If students are rushed through lessons, they may not fully understand the content. Therefore, it is our duty to make sure students understand the material before moving on to the next point.
I believe the right educational conditions can help an individual to prepare for social life outside of school. This means to provide a safe, comfortable classroom where students are able to socialize and share their thoughts and ideas with others. By providing many social opportunities, it prepares individuals for the social world outside of school.
I believe education must be based on an individual’s focus and interests. In order for students to want to learn, lessons must be based on their interests. This means, teachers must take the time to plan lessons to meet each students needs.
What The School Is:
I believe the school is “primarily a social institution” (Dewey). It is a place where students can socialize with one another and learn from each other. Students are able to share their thoughts and ideas without being ridiculed.
I believe the school should be a safe and comfortable environment. All students should be allowed to speak their opinion. All materials should be easily accessible to each individual. It is a place where students are encouraged to reach their full potential. The teachers and students should respect one another to create a positive learning atmosphere.
I believe the school should represent “present life – life as real and vital to the child as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the play-ground” (Dewey). Everything learned in school should be relatable to the students outside life.
I believe that the school should teach life in its simplest form. A young child cannot understand issues so complex. Teachers should teach at the students’ level. This means they should use simple terms and concepts when teaching a lesson.
I believe that the school should extend off of the home life. Students should feel comfortable bringing aspects of their home life and what they learn at home into the classroom. Different races and ethnicities should be admired and respected.
I believe that the school should be in the form of a learning community. Both thecommunity and parents should work together to provide the best education for their students.
The Subject-Matter of Education:
I believe all subjects should be taught in the classroom with the use of problem-solving, critical thinking, and life skills. If they are not in the curriculum then they should be integrated with other subjects. It is essential that all subjects are taught so that students will be better well-rounded.
I believe that “the social life of the child is the basis of concentration, or correlation, in all his training or growth” (Dewey). Students learn best when they are being social and are able tointeract with one another. Being able to share thoughts and ideas with others help students to focus and learn what is necessary to survive in the outside world.
I believe subjects should be relatable for students. Students should be able to relate what they are learning to aspects of their home life. This will show them that what they arelearning is important and it will be useful in the future.
I believe in “expressive or constructive activities as the centre of correlation” (Dewey). Students should be able to use their hands and other skills to construct meaning out of what they are learning. This works best by allowing the students to do hands-on activities and explore their environment.
I believe that subjects can be reconstructed and be connected with experiences in the outside world. Students are able to bring experiences from home and connect it with the material they are learning about in school.
The Nature of the Method:
I believe in hands-on activities to teach all, if not most, subjects. Hands-on activities help students to physically explore their surroundings. They help them to apply what they are learning from lecture or paper and put it to use.
I believe each lesson should be able to reach all of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Each learner is different and each learner should be able to learn in the way that works best for them. In turn, if a student learns the way they learn best, then they will succeed in not only school but in the outside world.
I believe in play but with some structure. Play can provoke thought, creativity and imagination. However, if there is not some structure, students will not know what to do with the knowledge they received from play. It is the teachers’ job to provide some structure and guide the student in the right direction.
I believe in independent learning but also cooperative learning. Some students learn best by themselves and others learn best in groups. That is why, it is key to provide both opportunities to learn in the classroom.
I believe that presentation of material should relate to students’ interests. Students are motivated to learn when they are presented with something that interests them.
I believe in the freedom of choice. Students should be presented with choices when learning. When students are put in front of options they hold all of the power. This makes them feel in control and in turn, it will help them to learn better.
The School and Social Progress:
I believe that community plays a huge role in education. Members of the community have a say in how the school is run. This is shown in city council and school board meetings. Therefore, the community has a huge influence on the education of the future adults in schools today.
I believe that education prepares students for the social society. By being social in school, it helps students become social for the outside world.
I believe that the teacher should act as a guide and mentor in the individual’s journey through school. They should provide students with choices that will help them explore anddiscover ideas and concepts on their own. They must not push ideas onto students; rather help them discover things for themselves.
I believe that the teacher should be supportive in student’s extra-curricular activities. Teachers should not only support students in school but outside of school as well. They should try to attend as many extra-curricular events as possible. This will show students that their teacher cares not only about teaching each individual but each individual as well.
I believe the teacher should approach the classroom with adaptability and a strong mentality. Every school contains students with various backgrounds, experiences and methods of learning. Therefore, the teacher should come with an open-mind and be willing to adapt to any change.
What Education Is:
I believe education is LIFE-LONG. It is a process that involves interaction and experience. An individual is constantly learning and building off of past experiences and connecting them with new ones. The knowledge that one has from the past, increases as they are presented with new knowledge.
I believe education is based on the individual’s own social terms. Individuals learn only if they want to learn. They learn in their fields of interests. If they are forced to learn something that they do not want to learn, then they will shut down.
I believe the individual motivates themselves and uses the skills they have to further their education. Only the individual can push themselves to do better. They are the ones that know themselves best. They know their strengths and weaknesses and how to apply them in their learning.
I believe in order to provide the best education we must first know the individual’s prior knowledge. We must understand each skill before fully moving on to the next objective. If students are rushed through lessons, they may not fully understand the content. Therefore, it is our duty to make sure students understand the material before moving on to the next point.
I believe the right educational conditions can help an individual to prepare for social life outside of school. This means to provide a safe, comfortable classroom where students are able to socialize and share their thoughts and ideas with others. By providing many social opportunities, it prepares individuals for the social world outside of school.
I believe education must be based on an individual’s focus and interests. In order for students to want to learn, lessons must be based on their interests. This means, teachers must take the time to plan lessons to meet each students needs.
What The School Is:
I believe the school is “primarily a social institution” (Dewey). It is a place where students can socialize with one another and learn from each other. Students are able to share their thoughts and ideas without being ridiculed.
I believe the school should be a safe and comfortable environment. All students should be allowed to speak their opinion. All materials should be easily accessible to each individual. It is a place where students are encouraged to reach their full potential. The teachers and students should respect one another to create a positive learning atmosphere.
I believe the school should represent “present life – life as real and vital to the child as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the play-ground” (Dewey). Everything learned in school should be relatable to the students outside life.
I believe that the school should teach life in its simplest form. A young child cannot understand issues so complex. Teachers should teach at the students’ level. This means they should use simple terms and concepts when teaching a lesson.
I believe that the school should extend off of the home life. Students should feel comfortable bringing aspects of their home life and what they learn at home into the classroom. Different races and ethnicities should be admired and respected.
I believe that the school should be in the form of a learning community. Both thecommunity and parents should work together to provide the best education for their students.
The Subject-Matter of Education:
I believe all subjects should be taught in the classroom with the use of problem-solving, critical thinking, and life skills. If they are not in the curriculum then they should be integrated with other subjects. It is essential that all subjects are taught so that students will be better well-rounded.
I believe that “the social life of the child is the basis of concentration, or correlation, in all his training or growth” (Dewey). Students learn best when they are being social and are able tointeract with one another. Being able to share thoughts and ideas with others help students to focus and learn what is necessary to survive in the outside world.
I believe subjects should be relatable for students. Students should be able to relate what they are learning to aspects of their home life. This will show them that what they arelearning is important and it will be useful in the future.
I believe in “expressive or constructive activities as the centre of correlation” (Dewey). Students should be able to use their hands and other skills to construct meaning out of what they are learning. This works best by allowing the students to do hands-on activities and explore their environment.
I believe that subjects can be reconstructed and be connected with experiences in the outside world. Students are able to bring experiences from home and connect it with the material they are learning about in school.
The Nature of the Method:
I believe in hands-on activities to teach all, if not most, subjects. Hands-on activities help students to physically explore their surroundings. They help them to apply what they are learning from lecture or paper and put it to use.
I believe each lesson should be able to reach all of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Each learner is different and each learner should be able to learn in the way that works best for them. In turn, if a student learns the way they learn best, then they will succeed in not only school but in the outside world.
I believe in play but with some structure. Play can provoke thought, creativity and imagination. However, if there is not some structure, students will not know what to do with the knowledge they received from play. It is the teachers’ job to provide some structure and guide the student in the right direction.
I believe in independent learning but also cooperative learning. Some students learn best by themselves and others learn best in groups. That is why, it is key to provide both opportunities to learn in the classroom.
I believe that presentation of material should relate to students’ interests. Students are motivated to learn when they are presented with something that interests them.
I believe in the freedom of choice. Students should be presented with choices when learning. When students are put in front of options they hold all of the power. This makes them feel in control and in turn, it will help them to learn better.
The School and Social Progress:
I believe that community plays a huge role in education. Members of the community have a say in how the school is run. This is shown in city council and school board meetings. Therefore, the community has a huge influence on the education of the future adults in schools today.
I believe that education prepares students for the social society. By being social in school, it helps students become social for the outside world.
I believe that the teacher should act as a guide and mentor in the individual’s journey through school. They should provide students with choices that will help them explore anddiscover ideas and concepts on their own. They must not push ideas onto students; rather help them discover things for themselves.
I believe that the teacher should be supportive in student’s extra-curricular activities. Teachers should not only support students in school but outside of school as well. They should try to attend as many extra-curricular events as possible. This will show students that their teacher cares not only about teaching each individual but each individual as well.
I believe the teacher should approach the classroom with adaptability and a strong mentality. Every school contains students with various backgrounds, experiences and methods of learning. Therefore, the teacher should come with an open-mind and be willing to adapt to any change.